Saturday, October 09, 2004

I'm Baaa-aaaack

Here I am, back in Comilla, just in time for my first Hartal. Tomorrow I won't be leaving the house. Good thing I have lots of work to do.

I brought a suitcase full of food from the American Embassy Commissary. Land O Lakes cojack cheese, baby! They had real maple syrup and 5 grain pancake mix and even BOCA BURGERS. Isaac has a months supply of fish sticks and chicken nuggets, and I'm all set with my vegetarian items.

I hung out with Tanya, another junior Fulbrighter, for a whole day in Dhaka. We went around the city like pros and found a place where they are selling really beautiful Bangladeshi art and antiques. I'll be paying them another visit with my oh-so-bargain-savvy sister-in-law. (Wow, that was a lot of hyphenation!)

There was another big rain and the streets of Dhaka were flooded by the time we needed to go home. My brother in law (dadu) had come to pick me up from Pizza Hut, and it took him an hour and a half plus a 20 taka tip to get a CNG to take us home. Once we got there, the roads were completely flooded. I was soaked, and all of the little things I had purchased were gooey. A little rain in Bangladesh creates such disasters! The next morning we couldnt get a bus to go to Comilla because none of them were able to come to Dhaka the night before. We ended up taking the scariest taxi drive of my life.

But we're here safe and sound, and now I'm going to stay put for a few weeks. THere will be more trips to Dhaka, but I will always be taking the bus. No more taxis for me!

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